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The Liverpool connection

As Cardiff City travel to Anfield on Saturday looking to make it two wins in a row in the Premier League, there are a surprise number of connections between the two clubs.

Scott Salter runs down some of the better known connections, and those few may know.

Craig Bellamy

One for the modern age, Bellamy was a favourite at both Cardiff and Liverpool, having two spells with both clubs. Cardiff-born, Bellamy would move to Liverpool in 2006 after impressing with Blackburn. Bellamy would find his way to Cardiff on-loan in 2010 from Manchester City, before his second spell in Liverpool under former Swansea-man Brendan Rodgers. After just one year on Merseyside, Bellamy returned to South Wales, where he led Cardiff City to their first ever promotion to the Premier League.

Marko Grujic

The most recent connect between the two clubs came last season when Serbian youngster Marko Grujic swapped Merseyside for South Wales and helped the Bluebirds secure promotion to the Premier League. There was hope that Grujic would continue with Cardiff for 2018/19, but instead finds himself in Germany with Hertha Berlin.

Leyton Maxwell

We head back to the early noughties now with Welsh winger Leyton Maxwell. The North Walian came through the Liverpool academy, before moving to Cardiff City in 2001. The ginger-haired winger would spend three years with the Bluebirds.

Robbie Fowler

A controversial figure in South Wales, Fowler’s Merseyside nickname of ‘God’ didn’t quite transfer to the City faithful. A graduate of the Liverpool academy, Fowler is one of the club’s all-time top goalscorers. He moved to Cardiff in 2007, where he spent just one injury-ruined season.

Tony Warner

The now-Accrington Stanley goalkeeping coach turned out for plenty of clubs during his long career, including both Liverpool and Cardiff. A graduate of the Liverpool academy, Warner joined Cardiff in 2004, but found chances limited thanks to the form of Neil Alexander.

John Toshack

Perhaps one of the most famous examples on this list, Toshack is one of the most successful Welsh managers of all time. A home grown Cardiff player, Tosh earned the big move to Liverpool in 1970. He is a legend at both clubs and knew how to find the net!

Bill Shankly

One of the most successful managers in British football history was once a Bluebird. It’s a little known fact, but Shankly was stationed at RAF St Athan and turned out for the Bluebirds just once, on October 3rd 1942 in front of 4,000 spectators, in a 3-1victory against Lovells Athletic.